


Intelligible

by ghee (sabakunoghee)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Konoha Shinden, M/M, Old Married Couple, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-31 06:20:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18585535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabakunoghee/pseuds/ghee
Summary: “Thank you for today, Gai.”T rated | Canon/Slightly OOC | Romance, Fluff.A one-shot about Hatake Kakashi, Maito Gai, and mutual understanding.





	Intelligible

**Author's Note:**

> A quick one-shot, written to celebrate the anime adaptation of Konoha Shinden: Steam Ninja Scrolls. The mini-filler will be on screen on the 12th of May. Guess who's excited? Yes, me!

“What an  _exhausting_ day,”

 

Hatake Kakashi stretched his stiff body, voice high.

 

Right behind him, Maito Gai giggled. The smile never abandoned his energetic face. He left the wheelchair near the entrance of their bedroom and hopped skilfully following Kakashi's long steps. The silver-haired shinobi went straight to the bathroom meanwhile his partner took a short adventure encircling the room. Preparing his muscle, Gai quickly grabbed two futons and placed them on the carpeted floor made from rice straw. Those sleeping mattresses were arranged side by side, obviously trespassed appropriate personal space.

 

The senior bowl-cut was fixing the thick sunflower-patterned blankets when Kakashi appeared with a small towel hanging on the back of his neck.

 

“...that was fast,” the former Hokage grinned while lowering the soft cloth covering the bottom half of his face, “You're not opening any gates, are you?”

 

Gai mockingly scoffed, “Someone would freak out if I did that,” he winked at Kakashi, “You're done washing your forehead?” the joke was so lame that the ex-ANBU rolled his eyes lazily.

 

The hot-blooded old man grinned before jumping his way toward the washroom and started to hastily clean himself. Both of them didn’t bother to close the door and the sound of pouring water was echoing on the bed area. Kakashi undressed - _sluggishly rather than slowly_ \- and built a pile of sweaty used clothes instead of shoving them into the laundry bin. He nudged himself into the freshly-made futon, enjoying the faint scent of washing product, and rolled himself to the side when he heard a wet footstep on the bathroom rugs.

 

“Rival, really…” they both could hear Gai's exaggerated sigh. His single steps were swift. He didn’t use any single hand to assist his skillful movements, which Kakashi found fascinating; his mellow, half-lidded eyes trailed down Gai's quick maneuver and smiled mischievously when the sturdy man wrapped in a light blue yukata approached him. Gai lowered his solid figure and sat beside Kakashi, carefully to not damage his casted leg, “Put on some clothes.”

 

“Hm,” Kakashi, still on his lying position, spread his hands to his side, “Put it on me.”

 

“There should be a fine and healthy border concerning your legendary sloth, Kakashi,” Gai shook his head, yet he didn’t complain any further. He snatched the matching garment and gestured his nearly-naked roommate to cooperate.

 

Kakashi wriggled and an inaudible groan escaped his lips when Gai tried his very best to put the traditional clothes on - _he felt like treating a five-years-old_. An effortless knot made sure the cotton-fabric wouldn't show too much of Kakashi's pale skin on display. Gai would love to see that, though, but they still had a schedule awaiting.

 

“Rival, no, open your eyes,” warned the black-haired jounin when he saw Kakashi yawned, “The cooks are preparing our special dinner, you can’t sleep just yet!”

 

“I know,” the younger man didn't seem to care. He took Gai's wrist and wordlessly pulled him so their bodies were perfectly aligned. Kakashi folded a hand under his head, laid on the side of his torso meanwhile Gai sighed before corrected his relaxed position.

 

They instantly fell silent after two pair of eyes met each other. There were unspoken words there, floating on the empty air soundlessly yet were intelligible for both parties. Gai softly reached Kakashi's fingers and brought them to his slightly chapped lips to leave numerous kisses on the knuckles. Without breaking their fixed stares, the taijutsu specialist placed his fellow’s palm on his own cheek - a small chuckle broke free as Kakashi played the dark, silky-smooth hair tickling his right ear.

 

“Are you sleepy, Rival?” Gai finally spoke while running his fingers through Kakashi’s greyish strands, “You look tired. Absolutely happy, but tired.”

 

“Well of course I am, we just practically walked across villages,” his breath was as warm as the curve on his lips. He paused for a mere second before resuming, “Really? I do?”

 

The muscular gentleman nodded, “Your eyes are glimmering and I wish you could see it yourself,” a faint rustling sound came from beneath him, as Gai closed the gap between their bodies. Kakashi, by nature, snuggled on his rival’s rested chest, which was half-covered by the shuriken-like-patterned yukata, “I know you’ve been waiting for this moment the whole time, it’s fine to eventually admit it that you’re happy for having a slow holiday as it is.”

 

“I might sound like a bad leader if I state it verbally,” he still discursively denied it, but his body language was more honest. Kakashi leaned in closer; if only he could embrace Gai any tighter than this, he gladly would, “I can’t just escape my duty for having a day off, right?”

 

“Hm-hm,” Gai pressed a kiss on the crown of Kakashi’s head. A deep, long, _loving_ kiss, then he rested his chin amidst the light-colored hair, “You really don’t like wasting any time.”

 

Kakashi buried his face on his comrade’s bulky pectoral, but Gai could _feel_ the smirk.

 

The prodigy of Hatake was the childhood friend he once knew - as soon as he felt completely content with the Nanadaime’s style of command, Kakashi immediately retreated from the political situation and ‘kidnapped’ Gai to this recreational site, which laid somewhere between the Land of Fire and Land of Hot Water. They indeed put Sarutobi Mirai - their fellow jounin’s only daughter - in an awkward and boring situation, but undoubtedly three of them had gone through such a great experience. At least, Gai was fully aware of Kakashi’s obsession with Icha-Icha Paradise and he would forbid Mirai from reading it at all cost.

 

They were blanketed in comfortable tranquility and Kakashi suddenly muttered.

 

“Time for us is short, don’t you think?”

 

“But _ours_ ticks slowly, Rival,” said Gai in a reassuring tone, “Every second of mine is yours, it _always_ is yours, and whenever you feel like it, you can take it,” again, he caressed Kakashi’s forehead using the tip of his nose, “You can take me with you as well.”

 

Kakashi never knew what good deeds he did in his previous life for having such a blessing as Gai’s existence beside him. Closing his eyes, the copy-ninja listened to their heartbeats, secretly expressed his gratitude the world for letting this man keep on _living_.

 

“You’re allowing me to be selfish?”

 

“Isn’t it a bit late to question it now?” asked Gai playfully.

 

“Fair enough,” Kakashi replied with a light chuckle, “You know, if there’s any place you want to visit, now that I have infinite time,” he craned his neck to catch Gai’s cheek in a delicate kiss, “Tell me, and we shall travel together.”

 

Gai shook his head,

 

“The only place I’d rather be is by your side, Rival.”

 

Kakashi snorted an obstructed laugh, “ - Gai, that was - ” the word ‘cheesy’ wasn't delivered properly because he couldn’t hold it anymore. He loudly, freely, let out his uncontrollable guffaw and it affected the exuberant guy at once. Two people, bounded by positive energy, synchronizing their glee in unison. The laughter which brought them inseparable and connected their shattered pieces back together. The laughter which erased all the tears and the wounds. The laughter between two lips which eagerly tried to steal kisses.

 

Those old men were out of breath and the slender one looked up, entwined their gazes into a tender, warm silent conversation.

 

“Thank you for today, Gai.”

 

“Thank you for _every day,_ Kakashi.”

**Author's Note:**

> [ in-tel-i-juh-buhl ] adjective  
> capable of being understood; comprehensible; clear:


End file.
